Last month in Hong Kong, I went to the New Territories, a part of the city I'd never visited before. It was only half an hour from bustling Kowloon, but it felt like a totally different region.

On the eve of my departure, before I'd fly to Tokyo and then to Los Angeles, I was feeling anxious.
I went for an hour-long run, my longest in a while. I set out just as the sun was setting and ran along the water, looking at the Kowloon skyline across the narrow harbor.
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Hi, everyone—the 2013 Annual Review continues! All posts will be open for comments from readers. In this post: looking forward to next year. But first! On Monday I published a roundup (not sent by email) of the first batch of posts from readers who are also doing Annual Reviews. We’ll update this one with many…

Hi, everyone—the 2013 Annual Review continues! All posts will be open for comments from readers. In this post: links from several of our readers who are also undertaking their own reviews. Over at World Domination HQ I’ve come down with post-review bronchitis (yikes!), but not to fear—I’ll be back on Thursday with one final post…

Hi, everyone—the 2013 Annual Review continues! All posts will be open for comments from readers. In this post: a few thoughts on the world of work. *** On general struggles. As mentioned in the first post on looking back, I had a few general disappointments that overshadowed much of the year. I know I’m my…

For the first time since publishing AONC in 2008, this year's travel roundup is quite different. Every other year, I've been to at least fifteen new countries (and many other countries I'd visited before). This time, my list is greatly abridged.

Hi, everyone—the 2013 Annual Review continues! All posts will be open for comments from readers. In this post: looking back at the highs and lows of the year. *** As explained in this year’s introduction and invitation, when the review begins I first look back at what happened over the past twelve months, making two…

Hi, everyone—the 2013 Annual Review is here! All posts will be open for comments from readers, and I’ll share a roundup of reader reviews at the end of the process. In this post: how it works: an overview and explanation. “Most people who talk about goals just say, ‘you should have goals.’ They don’t tell…

As discussed recently, lots of big things are in the works. I'll be heading out for my Annual Review trip soon ... we're building out the business ... next year I'll have a new book and a new tour ... but first things first..

Back from Australia and in Portland for the U.S. holiday, I faced a tough choice today: pecan pie or bread pudding. I chose the bread pudding … but then I experienced an onset of buyer’s remorse as I thought about the pie. Was I right? Was I wrong? Honestly, I wasn’t sure. They both had…

Last week I flew to one of my favorite countries. Ever since I first got stuck in Australia after being denied boarding for Nauru, it turned into a country I love to escape to whenever I get the chance—especially the sunny city of Sydney. Only problem was, this time my favorite sunny city was in…

Somewhere in my constant travels I learned an important lesson: you can be at peace wherever you are, or you can be anxious wherever you are. Circumstances aren’t completely irrelevant, and a comfortable environment certainly helps. But circumstances only go so far—feeling good or bad doesn’t depend on what’s happening around you. I remember shivering…

I was flying to Sydney via Los Angeles and Brisbane, but at the moment it didn’t matter. What mattered was: I was heading out to see the world. I touched down in LAX via the Greyhound of the West Coast skies, otherwise known as Alaska Airlines. Heading outside, I blinked at the flashing lights of…

Being between things is tough. There’s a bright future ahead! You can picture it, just out of reach in the near distance. But there’s a muddied present in front of you. Things are messy and take longer than you think. You experience setbacks as you proceed toward the goal. What can you do? You could…

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About Chris Guillebeau

Welcome to The Art of Non-Conformity, a home for remarkable people of all kinds. If you've ever felt like there must be more to life, this site is for you. I’m Chris Guillebeau, the author and publisher of the site.

From 2002-2013 I visited every country in the world and wrote about it on this blog. I’m still traveling to more than 20 countries each year. Along the way I share unconventional strategies and stories on Life, Work, and Travel.